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United States Patent |
6,050,749
|
Khamis
|
April 18, 2000
|
Concrete masonry unit for reinforced retaining wall
Abstract
A concrete masonry unit especially suited for use in soil reinforced
retaining walls is provided. The reinforced retaining wall is comprised of
precast, concrete block masonry unit facing elements connected by suitable
connectors to reinforcing members which extend from the facing elements
into the adjacent reinforced soil to form a mechanically stabilized
earthen wall construction. The connectors which affix the reinforcing
members at their connecting ends to the facing elements comprise concrete
poured into a part or all of certain of the void spaces within selective
facing blocks, which concrete may or may not be reinforced and which
concrete, when dry and cured, envelops and secures the connecting ends of
the reinforcement members to their corresponding blocks and forms anchors
thereat. The novel masonry unit disclosed herein effectively provides
maximum facing area per unit volume (weight) of block, always exceeding
4.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3, which results in considerable cost savings per unit
of retaining wall surface area over conventional wall constructions.
Inventors:
|
Khamis; Suheil R. (Egoz 36 Code 17500 P.B. 1757, Nazareth Ilit, IL)
|
Appl. No.:
|
166758 |
Filed:
|
October 5, 1998 |
Current U.S. Class: |
405/286; 52/439; 405/262 |
Intern'l Class: |
E02D 029/00; E21D 020/00; E21D 021/00; E21D 029/00 |
Field of Search: |
405/284-287,262
52/439,606,604
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3717967 | Feb., 1973 | Wood | 52/439.
|
3968615 | Jul., 1976 | Ivany | 52/439.
|
4123881 | Nov., 1978 | Muse | 52/439.
|
4318642 | Mar., 1982 | Barnett | 405/284.
|
4964761 | Oct., 1990 | Rossi | 405/284.
|
4982544 | Jan., 1991 | Smith | 52/606.
|
5064313 | Nov., 1991 | Risi et al. | 405/284.
|
5484235 | Jan., 1996 | Hilfiker et al. | 405/284.
|
5490363 | Feb., 1996 | Woolford | 52/604.
|
5540525 | Jul., 1996 | Miller et al. | 405/284.
|
5548936 | Aug., 1996 | McClinton et al. | 52/284.
|
5568999 | Oct., 1996 | Egan et al. | 405/262.
|
5697735 | Dec., 1997 | Egan | 405/262.
|
Primary Examiner: Lillis; Eileen Dunn
Assistant Examiner: Mayo; Tara L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Uebler, P.A.; E. Alan
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 08/994,327 filed on
Dec. 19, 1997.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A reinforced retaining wall construction for an earthenwork bulk form
comprising:
a plurality of precast, hollow concrete block masonry facing units stacked
one on top of another and in side by side relationship in generally
horizontal rows extending vertically upwardly from a first row resting
upon a foundation plane adjacent said bulk form, each of said block
masonry units having void spaces or openings extending vertically
therethrough, said blocks being stacked such that openings in said blocks
in one row coincide with openings in the blocks in rows vertically
adjacent said one row, and so on, upwardly from said first row to a top
row, and having reinforcement means in the form of rods, sheets, grids
and/or soil nails and anchors oriented in generally horizontal planes and
extending generally horizontally from the front face of said block masonry
units, between selected rows of said block masonry units and backwardly
into said earthenwork bulk form to a distance therein, said reinforcement
means being embedded within said bulk form, said blocks having poured
concrete means filling at least a portion, including all, of said openings
in said blocks adjacent each reinforcement means to thereby provide
concrete connector means rigidly enveloping and securing said
reinforcement means to said stacked block masonry units,
wherein each said hollow concrete block masonry unit is in the form of a
parallelepiped having length L, width W, height H and void fraction v,
wherein the ratio of wall facing area per block, that is, L.times.H, to
the volume of concrete per block, that is,
(L.times.H.times.W).multidot.(1-v), exceeds 4.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3,
thereby providing a mechanically stabilized, reinforced, rigid, earthen
wall construction.
2. A precast, hollow concrete block masonry facing unit having void spaces
extending vertically therethrough, generally in the shape of a
parallelepiped having length L, width W, height H and void fraction v,
wherein the ratio of facing area, that is L.times.H, to the volume of
concrete within said masonry unit, that is,
(L.times.W.times.H).multidot.(1-v), exceeds 4.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3.
3. The masonry unit of claim 2 wherein said ratio exceeds 4.5 m.sup.2
/m.sup.3.
4. The masonry unit of claim 3 wherein said ratio exceeds 5.0 m.sup.2
/m.sup.3.
5. The masonry unit of claim 2 wherein L is approximately 1.5 m, H is
approximately 1.2 m and W is approximately 0.43 m.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to mechanically stabilized earthen wall
constructions, in particular, to reinforced retaining walls comprising
precast facing elements connected by suitable connectors to reinforcing
elements which extend into reinforced soil.
Of the four basic classes of retaining walls, i.e., gravity, cantilever,
anchored and mechanically stabilized backfill, the present invention
relates primarily to the first and the latter two, although elements of
all are included in the improved wall system according to the invention.
By way of background, gravity walls depend upon the weight of the wall
itself to prevent overturning and sliding of the wall. A cantilever wall
is reinforced in order to resist applied moments and shear forces.
Anchored walls resist lateral forces through the use of tieback anchors or
soil nails. And mechanically stabilized backfill includes reinforcement
members extending backwardly from the front face of the wall into the
retained embankment soil to form a coherent mass. Enhanced reinforcement
is attained, at least in part, by increased frictional shear resistance
and passive resistance which occurs between the soil in the embankment and
the reinforcing members. Conventional reinforcing members can be in the
form of strips, grids, sheets, rods or fibers which increase the
resistance of the soil to tensile forces far beyond those which the soil
alone is able to withstand.
Both metallic (steel) and nonmetallic, polymeric (geotextile, geogrid)
materials have been used for reinforcement purposes. By definition herein,
metallic reinforcements such as steel will be termed "inextensible" or
"rigid" materials and nonmetallics such as geogrids and geotextiles will
be termed "extensible" or "flexible" materials, owing to their disparate
elastic moduli and creep resistance properties, and to be more or less
consistent with similar usage in prior literature in this art.
A mechanically stabilized backfill wall system generally comprises four
essential components: (1) facing elements; (2) the connection or
connectors connecting the facing elements and the reinforcing elements;
(3) the reinforcing elements themselves; and (4) the reinforced soil, all
of which comprise the reinforced retaining wall system. The facing
elements may be precast, modular concrete blocks. The front face of such
blocks may be covered with a decorative material, such as slate or the
like, which is generally employed solely for aesthetic purposes.
Concrete masonry units are generally identified and specified by reference
to their dimensions such as width (W) by height (H) by length (L) and in
any combination of these dimensions. These units may be termed "solid" or
"cored", wherein so-called "solid" units may, in fact, be cored up to 25%.
For a general description of concrete masonry units and literally hundreds
of variations, see Concrete Masonry: Shapes and Sizes Manual, National
Concrete Masonry Association publication, ISBN 1-881384-10-1 (1997).
By definition, masonry units which are cored in excess of 25% are termed
"hollow" units, wherein the measurement of coring is one of determining
the percentage of void area in the cross-sectional plane parallel to the
bedding plane of the unit.
As described in the referenced publication, a typical wall unit has
dimensions of L=155/8 in, W=35/8 in and H=75/8 in, nominally referred to
as a 16.times.4.times.8 stretcher block. The corresponding metric
dimensions for this block would be 397 mm by 92 mm by 194 mm (or nominally
400/100/200) in the metric system. See the referenced publication for
specifications of many other sizes and shapes of concrete masonry blocks.
To form a reinforced retaining wall, use of strip or rod reinforcements
creates a mechanically stabilized backfill by placing such reinforcements
in horizontal planes between successive lifts of soil backfill. Grid
reinforcement systems are formed by placing metal or polymeric grid
elements in horizontal planes vertically spaced apart in the soil
backfill. An example of such a polymeric grid reinforcement is Tensar
Geogrid, commercially available from the Tensar Corporation.
Reinforced retaining walls have many uses, particularly in the road
building industry wherein these constructions are used to retain
embankments and as roadway supports. Further uses of such walls include
sea walls, bridge abutments and other, similar configurations.
Several prior retaining wall systems are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
4,961,673 discloses a retaining wall construction comprised of a first
portion which includes compacted granular fill defining a three
dimensional earthenwork bulk form which includes a plurality of tensile
members dispersed within the bulk form to enhance the coherency of the
mass. The tensile members project from the bulk form and are connected to
a second component portion which defines a face construction. The face
construction is comprised of a plurality of facing panels connected to
tensile members with concrete layers enveloping the connection between the
facing panels and the tensile members. See also the references cited in
the '673 patent, which disclose many and varied embodiments of reinforced
retaining wall systems. A recently issued U.S. patent, U.S. Pat. No.
5,586,841, discloses a modular block wall which includes dry cast,
unreinforced modular wall blocks with anchor type, frictional type or
composite type soil stabilizing elements recessed therein and attached
thereto by vertical rods which also connect the blocks together. The soil
stabilizing elements are positioned in counterbores or slots in the blocks
and project into the compacted soil behind the courses of modular wall
blocks. The many and varied connector means disclosed in that patent, all
of which are unrelated to the connectors of the present invention, provide
indications of the current state of this art in the retaining wall field.
Prior patents directed to specific masonry units include, for example, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,548,936 and the many references cited therein. The '936 patent
discloses a glazed composite building unit said to be useful in turning a
corner or forming a column. The many references cited therein provide a
broad description of the state of the art in concrete masonry building
unit technology.
Mechanically stabilized backfill systems have many advantages over other
types of systems including relatively easy and rapid construction,
stability of the wall during construction, regardless of height or length,
relative flexibility with respect to lateral deformation and differential
vertical settlements, and, importantly, economic advantages. Disadvantages
may include corrosion of metallic reinforcements (which may be minimized
by galvanizing or resin coatings), excessive creep in the case of
polymeric reinforcements and the depth and expanse of excavation needed in
certain instances.
Objects and advantages of the present improved concrete masonry unit and
the retaining wall system employing it are many and varied. The present
wall can be constructed as a soil reinforced, retaining wall. The retained
soil can be reinforced with a specific, designed, combination of
reinforcements, all employed in a single wall construction, such as a
combination of soil nails or soil anchors, geosynthetic sheets and
metallic grids, all designed and specified to produce a safe and
economical structure.
According to the invention, the facia may be used as a constructive
component, which can transfer loads into the foundation soil without
affecting the wall performance, that is, the facia can serve as a
foundation to superstructures.
Modular units of the invention may be constructed from a lower foundation
level up to a certain designated height employing reinforced backfill,
above which height the wall can be constructed as a conventional gravity
wall, thus allowing increased construction flexibility, for example
permitting unrestricted excavation of the retained soil near the crest of
the wall to install utilities, etc.
The connections according to the invention between the reinforcement
members and the facing blocks are massive and exceedingly strong, allowing
the use of very high strength reinforcements and enabling stable wall
construction extending vertically to extreme heights, e.g., 20 meters or
more, higher than heretofore achievable. Both rigid walls, allowing for
small horizontal displacement of the retained soil, and flexible walls,
allowing for appreciable horizontal wall displacements, are possible,
providing flexibility in design and allowing for versatility in design
options, all while enabling the design of economically attractive high and
low walls, optionally having curved facades and corners, and all
possessing aesthetically pleasing appearances.
The objects, advantages and specific features of the invention are set
forth in detail in the detailed description hereinbelow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A reinforced retaining wall construction is provided, including a plurality
of precast, hollow concrete block masonry facing units stacked one on top
of another and in side by side relationship in generally horizontal rows
extending vertically upwardly from a first row resting upon a foundation
plane adjacent a bulk earth form to be retained. Each block masonry unit
has void spaces or openings (cores) extending vertically therethrough. The
blocks are stacked such that openings in the blocks in one row coincide
with openings in the blocks in rows vertically adjacent the one row, and
so on, upwardly from a first row to a top row. The wall has reinforcement
means generally in the form of rods, bars, sheets, grids and/or soil nails
and anchors oriented in generally horizontal planes (nails and anchors may
extend downwardly to the horizontal 15.degree. or more) and extending
generally horizontally from the front face of the block masonry units,
between selected rows of the block masonry units and backwardly into the
earthenwork bulk form to a considerable distance therein, and are embedded
therein. The blocks have poured concrete means filling at least a portion,
including all, of the openings in the blocks adjacent each reinforcement
means to provide concrete connector means rigidly enveloping and securing
the reinforcement means to the stacked blocks, to provide a mechanically
stabilized, reinforced earthen wall construction. The poured concrete
means preferably extends vertically upwardly and downwardly within the
voids to a distance above and below the plane of intersection between
vertically adjacent blocks and fills the openings to a distance of
approximately 15 cm above and below the plane of intersection. The portion
of the openings in the facing blocks which is not filled with poured
concrete is filled with compacted granular soil.
Each of the hollow concrete block masonry units is in the form of a
parallelepiped having length L, width W, height H and void fraction v,
wherein the ratio of wall facing area per block, that is, L.times.H, to
the volume of concrete per block, that is,
(L.times.H.times.W).multidot.(1-v), exceeds 4.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3. This is
a critical feature of the present invention.
The reinforcement means may include metallic grid, geotextile and geogrid
sheets, soil anchors or nails, or a specified combination of reinforcement
means, including combinations of metallic grids and geotextile or geogrid
sheets and soil nails and anchors.
The retaining wall may have a decorative covering material such as slate
covering its front face, for aesthetic reasons.
Each precast, hollow concrete block masonry facing unit has void spaces
extending vertically therethrough, and, as stated above, is generally in
the shape of a parallelepiped having length L, width W, height H and void
fraction v, wherein the ratio of facing area, that is, L.times.H, to the
volume of concrete within the masonry unit, that is,
(L.times.H.times.W).multidot.(1-v), exceeds 4.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3,
preferably exceeds 4.5 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3, and can exceed 5.0 m.sup.2
/m.sup.3. A highly preferred block is one wherein L is approximately 1.5
m, H is approximately 1.2 m and W is approximately 0.43 m.
The method for constructing the walls of the invention is also provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view, having portions thereof partially
cut away, of one embodiment of a reinforced retaining wall according to
the invention, forming a mechanically stabilized earthen wall
construction;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the wall construction
depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a precast, concrete block facing element
suitable for use in the retaining wall according to the invention;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional top plan view taken along line 4--4
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a front elevation depicting assembly of the concrete block facing
elements of the invention, preferably in staggered, overlapping
orientation as shown, i.e., one course of block oriented in staggered
fashion with respect to an adjacent row of block;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view, having portions thereof partially cut away,
of another embodiment of the retaining wall of the invention wherein
reinforcement means such as prestressed ground anchors, tiebacks, soil
nails, inextensible metallic grids and extensible geotextile sheets are
all incorporated, in combination, to form the mechanically stabilized
construct, described in detail below;
FIG. 7 is a partial cross-section of a connection between a prestressed
ground anchor or soil nail and a concrete facing block, depicting the
intersection of block and anchor or nail, all embedded in and connected
and anchored by poured, cured concrete;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a concrete block useful in the present
invention in the formation of curved wall surfaces;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a concrete end block suitable for use with
the block of FIG. 8 in forming curved wall surfaces;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a block facing element used with the
present invention and having its front face covered by a finishing cover
material such as slate;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a block facing element of the invention
showing its rear, ribbed wall surface, which ribbed surface contacts back
fill in the wall construction;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a top row, finishing block, to be
installed on the top row of block facing elements and supported thereat as
a gravity wall, to complete the structural and aesthetic features of the
wall of the invention; and
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a still further embodiment of the
invention depicting poured concrete filling aligned cavities in vertically
oriented blocks, row to row, forming vertical soldier beam reinforcements
for the wall, and horizontally oriented, optionally steel-reinforced
concrete anchor beams which anchor and connect soil nails and prestressed
ground anchors to the facing block elements, as shown.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the preferred precast
concrete masonry unit claimed according to this invention which is
suitable for use in the reinforced retaining wall of the invention; also
depicted in FIG. 14 are the reference dimensions used to identify a
particular block, e.g. length L, height H and width W;
FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the masonry unit shown in FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the hollow masonry unit depicted in FIG. 14;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a typical hollow concrete masonry unit
used in conventional retaining wall construction;
FIG. 18 is a perspective view, having portions thereof partially cut away,
of an embodiment of the reinforced retaining wall of the invention showing
the preferred hollow concrete masonry units employed therein and wherein
reinforcement means such as geotextile mats or sheets are incorporated to
form the mechanically stabilized construct of the invention;
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the retaining wall construct depicted
in FIG. 18.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS WITH
REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
A concrete masonry unit especially suited for use in soil reinforced
retaining walls is provided. The reinforced retaining wall is comprised of
precast, concrete block masonry facing elements connected by suitable
connectors to reinforcing members which extend from the facing elements
into the adjacent reinforced soil to form a mechanically stabilized
earthen wall construction. The connectors which affix the reinforcing
members at their connecting ends to the facing elements comprise concrete
poured into a part or all of certain of the void spaces within selective
facing blocks, which concrete may or may not be reinforced and which
concrete, when dry and cured, envelops and secures the connecting end of
the reinforcement members to their corresponding blocks and forms anchors
thereat. In addition, wall constructions are provided having reinforcement
members with differing reinforcement characteristics placed at different
elevations of a wall, as desired, to accommodate specific design
requirements, such as, for example, soil nails, prestressed tiebacks,
metallic grids and polymeric materials, all of which are employed as
reinforcements in a single wall construction.
A detailed description of the novel masonry unit and the stabilized earthen
wall construction of the invention and the preferred embodiments thereof
is best provided with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG.
1 is an overall isometric perspective view of one embodiment, with
portions cut away for illustrative purposes. Therein is shown a natural
(or manmade) soil embankment 10, partially excavated, and concrete
foundation or footer 24 having been laid using conventional techniques.
Dry, precast modular concrete block facing elements 12 are stacked in
rows, as shown, having staggered, overlapping orientation to one another
row-to-row, and engaging each other in a conventional tongue-in-groove
fashion, as shown and described in more detail below. Generally
horizontally oriented grids 16 act as reinforcement members and are placed
between successive lifts of soil and between rows of blocks 12 and extend
from the front face of the blocks 12 backwardly into the soil 18 to
provide reinforcement members to mechanically stabilize the soil by
providing additional shear and passive resistance forces reacting against
the outwardly directed pressure forces generated in the soil being
retained. The reinforcement members 16 should be cut away in regions
between rows of blocks at and near the tongue and groove connectors to
ensure that connections between stacked blocks are clear and fit together
perfectly.
The stable wall system is achieved by connector means providing a firm
connection between the reinforcement grids 16 and the facing blocks 12.
This connection allows the reinforcement members to transfer tensile loads
due to lateral earth pressures into the stable soil, that is, soil not
supported by the facia. Connection and anchorage of the reinforcement
members 16 into the block facing elements 12 is achieved by pouring
concrete or mortar 14 into the voids of the blocks 12 as shown. The voids
inside the blocks 12 are filled preferably with alternating layers of
compacting granular soil 20 and concrete 14. The concrete fill 14 is
cast-in-place to produce a firm, massive and strong connection between the
reinforcement 16 and the facing block elements 12. The reinforcing
elements 16 are depicted as steel grids, but other types of grids may be
employed such as geogrids and geotextiles. In certain applications, ground
anchors may be used, and this is discussed in more detail below. Where
ground anchors are used, concrete can be poured into the vertically
adjacent and connecting voids formed by several stacked blocks, with or
without placement of steel reinforcement in the voids, to provide, in
effect, a vertical soldier beam connecting the soil anchors to the blocks.
As construction of the wall proceeds from the foundation 24 upwardly, fill
soil 18 is replaced as necessary.
For completeness, the top row of facing blocks 30 is composed preferably of
cantilevered, gravity supported L-shaped blocks 30, filled by backfill 20
as shown, and, for aesthetic purposes, covering material such as slate
panels 22 may be adhered, usually with mortar, to the front face of the
wall. Steel reinforcements 26 and 28 may be employed when and where
needed.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the wall construction
depicted in FIG. 1. The construction, proceeding upwardly from the
unexcavated natural soil 10, includes concrete foundation 24 on which are
stacked rows of precast concrete blocks 12. Between the blocks 12, and
extending from the front face of the blocks 12 (left side in the drawing)
generally horizontally backwardly (to the right in the drawing) through
the adjacent blocks and into the soil 18 behind the blockwork, the
reinforcement members 16 are shown extending back a sufficient distance
into stable soil behind the blockwork. The reinforcement members 16 which
are sandwiched at their connection ends between adjacent vertical rows of
blocks 12 are secured and anchored thereat by pouring concrete 14 in situ
into the voids of blocks 12, as shown, and allowing the concrete to set
therein to form massive anchors rigidly connecting the reinforcement
members 16 to the blocks 12. As stated, the voids in blocks 12 preferably
are filled with alternating layers of concrete 14 and compacted granular
fill soil 20, as shown in FIG. 2, but concrete could also fill the
adjacent vertical void spaces at specified lateral wall locations to form
rigid, vertical soldier beam reinforcement members for the retaining wall
extending from its foundation to its very top section.
The top row of reinforced blocks 13 is shown as larger than the underlying
block elements 12 and supports the top row of facing blocks 30, all filled
with backfill 20 and, as shown, being gravity supported. Covering panels
22 are affixed to the front faces of blocks 12, 13 and 30. Steel rods 26
and 28 to reinforce the concrete may be included if specified.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a typical, conventional block 12 useful
in constructing the wall of the invention. Therein is shown the block 12
having vertical through-openings or voids 42 therein, and having
conventional tongue 44 and groove 46 construction to enable such blocks to
fit mechanically and snugly together, row upon row, to thereby prevent any
shifting of blocks with respect to each other. Openings 48 permit passages
for utility lines and the like to pass through. Openings 48 also permit
grasping and lifting of the blocks by a crane or other means at the
construction site to facilitate block placement and wall construction at
the site.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional top plan view taken along
line 4--4 of FIG. 2. Therein, the grid 16 extends over the blocks 12. At
portions of the grid 16 where tongue and groove sections 44, 46 of
overlapping blocks fit together, the grid 16 is cut away so as not to
interfere with the snug fit of blocks 12. Concrete anchor sections 14
rigidly secure the grids 16 into the facing wall.
FIG. 5 depicts in front elevation the assembly of block facing elements 12
in staggering or overlapping array, as shown, all stacked in rows upon
foundation 24. It is preferable and important for drainage purposes that a
space or gap 15 between adjacent blocks be maintained. A constant
horizontal spacing of 10 mm between blocks is preferably maintained, and
this may be achieved using spacers bonded to the sides of the blocks. To
ensure long term drainage through the gaps 15 without washout therethrough
of soil particles, mesh strips of nonwoven geotextile material may be
affixed over these gaps before replacement of the backfill soil.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view, portions of which are cut away, showing a
reinforced retaining wall wherein different reinforcement members are
employed within a single stabilized wall construction. Therein, precast
concrete blocks 12 are stacked upon one another in rows as before, resting
upon cast-in-place foundation 24. For rocky embankments or otherwise
difficult to excavate soil, or for other technical reasons, it may be
desirable to use soil nails 66 or prestressed anchors as reinforcing
members in the lower regions of the wall construction. These soil nails 66
may be anchored to blocks 12 by pouring concrete anchors 14 into the voids
42 of the block 12 to which the soil nail is connected. Alternatively,
optionally and additionally, a reinforced, relatively massive horizontal
concrete beam 54 may be poured in place and used to anchor the soil nails
66 and/or prestressed anchors or tiebacks.
Proceeding upwardly through successive lifts of backfill and rows of blocks
12, it may be desirable and required under engineering specifications to
employ inextensible, metallic reinforcement grids 16 at intermediate
levels of the retaining wall and extensible polymeric reinforcement
members 56 such as geotextiles and geogrids at the upper levels of the
wall. These reinforcement members are all placed as before, and concrete
anchoring means 14 are poured into the respective voids 42 of blocks 12 to
anchor the reinforcement members to the blocks 12 at their connecting
ends. Construction of the wall depicted in FIG. 6 is otherwise similar to
that described previously, and may include installation of decorative
coverings 22 adhered to the front faces of blocks 12.
FIG. 7 is a partial side elevation, in cross-section, of a connection
between a ground anchor 66 and its connecting block 12. Therein the anchor
66 having sleeve 64 is affixed by connecting nut 62 to anchor bracket 60,
and the entire connection is made rigid and anchored thereat by the
poured-in-place concrete layer 14. This anchor may be prestressed by
turning the nut against the reaction provided by the vertical or
horizontal beam.
FIGS. 8 and 9 depict precast concrete block configurations 32 and 52 useful
in the construction of curved wall front faces.
FIG. 10 depicts the assembly of covering material 22, such as slate panels,
affixed to the front face of block 12.
FIG. 11 shows a rear view of a block 12 having a ribbed rear wall
configuration 17 for enhanced contact with backfill soil, and FIG. 12 is a
perspective view of an L-shaped block 30 preferably used in the top run of
blocks as described above.
FIG. 13 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a further embodiment
of the invention wherein facing blocks 12 are stacked vertically in rows,
as before, upon foundation 24. In the embodiment shown, minimal excavation
behind the facing has been performed. Rather, prestressed anchors 66 are
employed to rigidly connect the block facing wall to the embankment 18,
not shown in the figure. The lower connectors of the soil nails are
encased in and anchored by horizontal, poured-in-place, reactive concrete
beams 54, which may or may not be reinforced, such as, for example, by
steel reinforcing rods 28.
The upper soil nail 68, at its connecting end, may be anchored thereat to
block 12 by concrete poured into block 12 as before or, as shown in FIG.
13, is anchored in a poured concrete vertical column 23 extending through
several runs of block and performing essentially as a reinforced soldier
beam thereat. Similar, vertically oriented soldier beams 23 may be placed
at selected lateral spacings apart in the construction of the wall,
according to engineering specifications. Such a vertical beam 23 is shown
in FIG. 13 connecting, rigidly, the two lower soil anchors depicted
therein.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the preferred concrete masonry facing unit
82 of the invention, having vertical openings therethrough and having
otherwise conventional tongues and grooves to enable stacking and snug fit
mechanically, row upon row. Block dimensions, L, W, H, for the block
depicted in FIG. 14 are critical to the invention according to the claims
herein below. Primarily for economic reasons in retaining wall
construction, attempts are made to simultaneously maximize the facing area
of a wall and minimize the weight (tonnage) of the wall while maintaining
a structurally sound construct. It is for this reason that blocks 82
according to the invention have dimensions L, W, and H such that:
##EQU1##
wherein v designates the void fraction of the hollow block 82. While
so-called "solid" blocks may have voids of up to v=0.25 (i.e. see the
above-referenced publication), for purposes of discussion herein all
blocks are presumed hollow having void fractions exceeding 0.25 and
ranging up to 0.6 or more.
A preferred block 82 has dimensions of:
L=1,500 mm
H=1,200 mm
W=430 mm
and is 49% void. Thus, the ratio for this block 82 of its effective surface
facing area, i.e. L.times.H, to its effective volume, i.e.,
(1-v).multidot.(L.times.H.times.W), is 4.55 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3. For all
blocks according to this invention, this ratio will exceed 4.0 and may
exceed 5.0 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3.
This high surface area to volume ratio translates into considerable weight
savings which directly impact cost of construction. Comparing this
preferred block 82 to a conventional block (i.e., see below method of
construction using a 1200/600/580 mm block), the weight savings per unit
face area of retaining wall is approximately 27%. This savings is readily
seen to be considerable when constructing a 30 m wall, for example.
FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the preferred block 82 shown in FIG. 14, and
FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the block 82.
For comparison purposes, a conventional stretcher block, taken from the
many depicted in the above-referenced publication, is depicted in FIG. 17
which is, together with FIG. 3, believed to be representative of concrete
masonry units known in the prior art to be used in reinforced retaining
wall constructions.
FIG. 18 is an overall isometric perspective view of a wall according to
this invention, with portions cut away for illustrative purposes, using
the novel concrete masonry units described hereinabove. Therein is shown a
soil embankment 10, partially excavated, and concrete foundation or footer
24 having been laid using conventional techniques. Dry, precast modular
concrete block facing elements 82 are stacked in rows, as shown, having
staggered, overlapping orientation to one another row-to- row, and
engaging each other in a conventional tongue-in-groove fashion, as shown
and described in detail below. Generally horizontally oriented geotextile
grids 56 act as reinforcement members and are placed between successive
lifts of soil and between rows of blocks 82 and extend from the front face
of the blocks 82 backwardly into the soil 18 to provide reinforcement
members to mechanically stabilize the soil by providing additional shear
and passive resistance forces reacting against the outwardly directed
pressure forces generated in the soil being retained. The reinforcement
members 56 should be cut away in regions between rows of blocks at and
near the tongue and groove connectors to ensure that connections between
stacked blocks are clear and fit together perfectly.
The stable wall system is achieved by connector means providing a firm
connection between the reinforcement grids 56 and the facing blocks 82.
This connection allows the reinforcement members to transfer tensile loads
due to lateral earth pressures into the stable soil, that is, soil not
supported by the facia. Connection and anchorage of the reinforcement
members 56 into the block facing elements 82 is achieved by pouring
concrete or mortar 14 into the voids of the blocks 82 as shown. The voids
inside the blocks 82 are filled preferably with alternating layers of
compacting granular soil 20 and concrete 14. The concrete fill 14 is
cast-in-place to produce a firm, massive and strong connection between the
reinforcements 56 and the facing block elements 82. The reinforcing
elements 56 are preferably geogrids and geotextiles, but other types may
be employed. In certain applications, ground anchors may be used.
As construction of the wall proceeds from the foundation 24 upwardly, fill
soil 18 is replaced as necessary.
The top row of facing blocks 30 is composed preferably of cantilevered,
gravity supported L-shaped blocks 30, filled by backfill 20 as shown, and,
for aesthetic purposes, the covering material such as slate panels 22 may
be adhered, usually with mortar, to the front face of the wall. Steel
reinforcements 26 and 28 may be employed when and where needed.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the wall construction
depicted in FIG. 18. The construction, proceeding upwardly from the
unexcavated natural soil 10, includes concrete foundation 24 on which are
stacked rows of precast concrete blocks 82. Between the blocks 82, and
extending from the front face of the blocks 82 (left side in the drawing)
generally horizontally backwardly (to the right in the drawing) through
the adjacent blocks and into the soil 18 behind the blockwork, the
reinforcement members 56 are shown extending back a sufficient distance
into stable soil behind the blockwork. The reinforcement members 56 which
are sandwiched at their connection ends between adjacent vertical rows of
blocks 82 are secured and anchored thereat by pouring concrete 14 in situ
into the voids of blocks 82, as shown, and allowing the concrete to set
therein to form massive anchors rigidly connecting the reinforcement
members 56 to the blocks 82. The voids in blocks 82 preferably are filled
with alternating layers of concrete 14 and compacted granular fill soil
20, as shown, but concrete could also fill the adjacent vertical void
spaces at specified lateral wall locations to form rigid, vertical soldier
beam reinforcement members for the retaining wall extending from its
foundation to its very top section. Where necessary or desirable for
drainage purposes, felt mats 86 may be inserted as shown in FIGS. 18 and
19.
METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
Generally, concepts according to the invention may be employed in the
construction of otherwise conventional gravity walls, or with reinforced,
retained soil. Importantly, the retained soil can be reinforced with a
combination of reinforcements such as soil nails or soil anchors,
geosynthetic (or other extensible) sheets and metallic (or other
inextensible) grids, all in a single construction, providing both a safe
and an economical structure.
Precast concrete blocks used as the wall facing elements serve three
purposes. They provide lateral support for the reinforced soil, anchor the
reinforcement at the front end, and render an aesthetically pleasing wall
appearance. The proper combination of blocks makes it possible to
construct gravity walls to significant heights without additional soil
reinforcement. The maximum height of such a wall will depend on several
factors such as the dimensions of the blocks, number of parallel blocks
producing a row, properties of the backfill soil and the foundation soil,
external forces, and the design earthquake intensity. Economics indicates
that, typically, the maximum height of an unreinforced wall will be
limited to about 3.5 m. Taller walls may be constructed with reinforced
soil. Reinforcement materials to be employed include galvanized steel
grids, geotextiles, geogrids, and/or ground anchors (i.e., prestressed
tiebacks and/or soil nails). The economics resulting from the natural soil
terrain may dictate a combination of ground anchors together with planar
reinforcement materials. As described above, the stable wall system of the
invention is obtained by providing a firm connection between the
reinforcement members employed and the facing blocks. This connection
allows for the reinforcement to transfer tensile loads due to lateral
earth pressures backwardly into the stable soil. (Herein, "stable soil"
means soil that is not supported by the facia.)
A conventional precast block unit is shown schematically in FIG. 3. Its
external dimensions are 1200/600/580 mm, having walls 80 and 100 mm thick.
The front face of the block can be covered by decorative material such as
slate, see FIG. 10. Bonding the cover to the block is done using mortar,
and the cover is for aesthetic purposes only.
A preferred precast block unit is shown in FIG. 14. Its external dimensions
(L/W/H) are 1500/430/1200 mm, having walls 80 and 100 mm thick and hollow
(void) fraction of approximately 49%. Its ratio of effective facing area
(i.e., L.times.H) to its actual volume [i.e.
(L.times.H.times.W).multidot.(1-v)] is thus 4.55 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 18, the elevation of the leveling pad 24 should be
at least 30 cm below the final grade in front of the wall, or as otherwise
specified by the design engineer. The leveling pad is made of
cast-in-place concrete which can be poured directly against the sides of
the excavated trench. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical leveling pad, including
steel reinforcement 26 to tie together the pad 24 and the first row of
blocks 12.
To construct a gravity wall, the following steps are preferably undertaken:
1. Excavate a ditch for the leveling pad 24 to a minimal depth of 60 cm.
The width of the ditch should be no less than the width of the first row
of blocks. The top of the leveling pad should be at least 30 cm below the
final grade of the soil in front of the wall, or as otherwise specified by
the design engineer.
2. Pour concrete into the excavated ditch to form the leveling pad,
preferably concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 200
kg/cm.sup.2. Steel to reinforce the concrete should be used as specified.
3. Place the first row of blocks over approximately a 3 cm layer of mortar
(i.e., the mortar is inserted between the top of the leveling pad and the
bottom of the blocks). To ensure drainage, a spacing of 10 mm is provided
between adjacent blocks (see FIG. 5).
4. Pour concrete into each block's voids, preferably up to 15 cm below the
top of the block (see FIGS. 1, 2, 18 and 19). Concrete with a minimum
compressive strength of 300 kg/cm.sup.2 (about 30 MPa) is preferred.
5. Place layers of backfill soil and compact to specified density. Fill to
the top of the first row of blocks.
6. Place another layer of blocks on top of the first row. Blocks are
`connected` to each other by `groove and tongue`. A space of 10 mm in
between blocks is maintained for drainage.
7. The volume of voids in each block is filled either with granular soil or
concrete. If concrete is used as fill, steel reinforcement may be
included. Concrete fill will produce, in effect, a standard gravity wall
with `rigid` facing. Soil fill will produce, in effect, a standard gravity
wall with a relatively flexible facing.
8. Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7 for additional rows of blocks and layers of
backfill, until the desired height is obtained.
To construct a reinforced retaining wall, the following steps are
preferably undertaken:
Steps 1 through 5 are the same as above for the gravity wall, followed by:
6. Steel grid, made of rolled steel, ribbed and galvanized, meeting
appropriate standards, is to be employed. Polymeric reinforcements or
ground anchors will be selected according to specifications. The required
strength of the reinforcement will be determined by the designer. To
ensure adequate connection, the front end of the metallic or polymeric
reinforcement must be placed within the block void as illustrated in FIGS.
1-4. FIG. 13 shows the connection of prestressed anchors and soil nails to
the facing. FIG. 7 depicts details of the connection of a prestressed
anchor to the facing. The reinforced concrete poured into the voids in the
blocks, intended to connect the anchors (or nails), should be provided
according to the design using concrete, preferably with a minimal
compressive strength of 200 kg/cm.sup.2 (about 200 MPa).
7. When using metallic reinforcements, the longitudinal and transverse
steel bars should be cut as shown in FIG. 4. This is necessary to ensure
that the `groove and tongue` connection between two stacked blocks remain
clear thus ensuring a perfect fit. When using polymeric material, the
reinforcement should also be cut so as not to interfere with the fitting
in between stacked blocks.
8. Place another row of blocks, leaving 10 mm space between blocks for
drainage.
9. Place reinforced backfill soil in layers and compact to meet
specifications; fill to the top of the row of blocks.
10. Pour concrete into the voids of each block, preferably up to 15 cm
above the bottom of the new row of blocks as shown in FIGS. 2 and 19. For
ground anchors, concrete to `lock` two stacked blocks will be poured in
the voids that are not being used for the vertical soldier beam. That is,
concrete is poured, similar to the case of planar reinforcement, to
produce increased shear resistance between stacked blocks. If no
reinforcement is used, the design may still require concrete between
stacked blocks to increase interblock shear resistance.
11. The remaining volume of the voids in the blocks may be filled with
compacted granular soil, preferably up to 15 cm below the top of each
block.
12. Steps 6 through 11 are repeated until the desired wall height is
attained.
In general, the length of the reinforcement material (steel grid or
polymeric material), perpendicular to the wall face, should be uniform and
at least 0.7 the height of the wall (height is measured from leveling pad
to the top of the uppermost row of blocks). British standards and American
guidelines allow for shorter reinforcement lengths at the bottom
(`Trapezoidal Wall`). The minimum length of the ground anchors should be
at least that of the other reinforcing materials. It should be noted that
while the invention enables the use of mixed reinforcements (i.e., a
mixture of steel grid and/or polymeric and/or ground anchors to provide a
combination of `extensible` and `inextensible` reinforcement for the same
wall), there is presently no known design method specifically addressing
such a hybrid reinforcement system. However, such combination of
reinforcements can be used provided modified design calculations show that
design requirements (for each type of reinforcement used) are met and that
the ground anchors at the construction site can produce the strength
assumed in design. Generally, the concrete connections between the
reinforcement and the blocks in the above-described wall is massive and,
typically, exceeds the tensile strength of the reinforcement itself.
Additionally, the reinforced soil and its placement are critical factors
in the long term performance of the wall. U.S. standards for such
constructions must be followed.
While the invention has been disclosed herein in connection with certain
embodiments and detailed descriptions, it will be clear to one skilled in
the art that modification or variations of such details can be made
without deviating from the gist of this invention, and such modifications
or variations are considered to be within the scope of the claims
hereinbelow.
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